Well Done You
by NITESIDE -TAYLAH - TYLER
Summary: Edited version of 'We Are Broken'. Max has a troubled past that leads to her being sent away for four years to an institute in Colorado. When she comes back, it's to find her adoptive mother, Nicole is dating an arsehole. Enter an attractive ginger who goes by the name of Iggy and an abusive ex boyfriend named Ari and you have one helluva story to tell.
1. Chapter 1

**It was brought to my attention just how long it has been since I last updated and for that I apologize. But honestly, it's because I wasn't happy with this story and I had jumped off the MR bandwagon. But I can safely tell you that I am going to rewrite this entire story and make it actually worth reading because let's face it, the writing is sloppy, plot is weak and my spelling was terrible. **

**I'd also like to state that I am changing the pairing from Fang/Max to Iggy/Max, mainly because I think Fang is an arse and all those kinds of things. Well, that and because I really like me a handsome ginger *dreamy expression at the thought of a ginger* Also, because I can't remember the last name I used for Nicole and Clary, I will be making a new one up for them. Many apologies. **

**So here I am, alerting you to the fact that this story is once again being written and is not in fact forgotten like some people think. I really hope you enjoy my rewritten version because honestly the original is absolutely horrendous. **

**Many thanks to those who have managed to stick with this story despite my incredibly long hiatus.**

**Love,**

**Taylah.**

**P.S the story isn't going to be long, it's based now in 2013, not when I first wrote it and the chapters are going to be named after songs, to you know, continue on with tradition. Also because I have no knowledge about the American school system I'm gonna base it on how I know high school to be as an Australian. Sorry, but I am, so there will only be four 70min classes a day and they'll start and finish early.**

**This chapter song is by ****Battleships****. Check 'em out, I definitely recommend them if you're into indie. **

**.**

Chapter One: Coming Back To You

**Four Years Ago**

'_Max, no, let him go! Get off of him now!'_

_Her fists were thickly coated in blood; it was unknown whose blood was whose due to the split skin of her fists that poured out a steady stream of blood. Strong arms grabbed at her hips and tugged her away from the bloodied and broken man on the ground. Feet hanging off the ground Max struggled in the grip of the man, her own face streaked with the red gushing from her nose and a large gash above her eyebrow._

_She was carried away from the man, the sound of a man's voice reading her her rights reached her ears before she thrown into the back of a police cruise, the sound of a girl screaming obscenities could be heard on the other side of the tinted windows. Sitting in the back of the cruiser Max sat in silence, head bowed and her hands laced together. The blood had started to congeal on her hands, the slip skin slowly releasing blood._

_Sighing softly Max looked up and watched the outside world go by in a blur. She wasn't stupid; she knew what was going to happen. Nicole is going to kill me, she thought absently while watching the trees._

_It was going to be a long couple of years._

**Present Day**

It was raining heavily when the red Minnie classic pulled up into the driveway of an old two story house with brass trimmings and a balcony that wrapped around both levels of the house. Thunder cracked overhead as both doors opened in tandem and the occupants jumped out, one reaching in to grab a bag while the other walked to the front door as if the rain was nonexistent.

Max stood up straight after closing her car door and rolled her shoulders before tilting her head back and allowing the rain to streak across her face for a moment before following in her adoptive mother's footsteps and walked inside the striking home that was familiar and alien at the same time. Nicole was turning on the lights when Max stepped into the long hallway that meet the front door. Wiping her feet silently she walked further inside, passing the staircase that was halfway in the hallway to her left, and turned into the living room on the right.

Gently placing the army green duffel bag down by the couch she walked to the adjoining kitchen and smiled softly at the sight of the large white British Bullterrier that greeted her when she walked around the bench that separated the rooms. Upon seeing her, the dog launched himself at her with a series of barking that caused max to laugh.

'Hey, Bones, hey!' Max sat down cross legged in the middle of the kitchen and allowed the dog to jump all over her as he licked her face. Nicole walked through the second entry way to the kitchen and couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Max spread out on the floor due to her dog energetically moving around her, sniffing at her clothes readjusting to her scent once again.

'Well someone's missed you,' she said as she stepped over her second daughter and opened the fridge to pull out a can of Sprite before moving to lean against the counter.

'Of course he missed me! I'm his mama and he is my beautiful mama's boy!' Max sat up and started to rough him up, rubbing his sides and playing with him all the while saying 'Aren't you? Aren't you?' Pulling away from the excited dog, Max drew herself up and turned to Nicole. 'I'm gonna go put my stuff away, I'll be down soon.'

.

Listening to the repetitive song Around the World by Daft Punk, Max allowed herself to zone out as she cleaned up her room, happy that it was as she had left it. The walls were still that dark blue that seemed electric and her curtains were still black and her darling step sister, Clary hadn't nicked her framed Indiana Jones posters or her numerous books. Sorting through her clothes and placing the neatly into the walk-in closet that was hidden behind her cardboard cutout of the TARDIS from _Doctor Who, _Max slowly made her way through clothes and collapsed on the fairy light wrapped, twisted brass framed, bed.

Closing her eyes Max allowed her mind to drift off into nothingness as her music flowed through her favorite songs. Just as _Grease is The Word _settled into its chorus, a loud squeal -'MAX!'- permeated the air before a girl ran into the room and dive bombed onto Max's stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of her lungs and causing her eyes to snap open.

'Clary!' Max cried out surprised before grabbing the girl and drawing her into a tight embrace before letting her go shortly after.

'Oh my god, Max, I'm so glad you're home! It's been too long and I missed you and you missed the ending of Harry Potter and you've missed like _four _whole seasons of _Doctor Who _and you aren't up to date on music and books and I really missed you and you have to meet my friends and we have to go out and get some ice cream and I really, _really _missed you!'

'Ok I get it! You missed it,' Max said with a laugh before pulling Clary back into a hug and keeping her there,' I missed you too, Squirt. So tell me, what's the latest goss? Tell me, _I need to know! _It was incredibly boring in Clear Ridge, the only things I heard was who shagged who and who was sent into solitude. I'm deprived! TELL E!'

Clary laughed at her sister before rolling onto her back, head still resting on Max's shoulder. 'Ok, goss, what is there? Well you remember that guy you used to be semi friends with? The one who liked to be called Tooth?'

'Fang?' max supplied, amused at her sister's butchering of his chosen name.

'Yeah, him. Well he's turned into a massive player who is rumored to have more STD's than Ash has Pokémon *Max snorted in a laugh* and he's dating some skank named Lissa, a transfer from Virginia or something. Helmet came out and said she was a lesbian * 'I knew it! Good on her.'* and is currently in a happy relationship with a nice girl called Amity, you'll meet them later when you come to school. Not much has really happened aside from us getting a new student. Oh you'd love him, Max. Complete hottie, o' course, he isn't any Pike but still registers a ten on our one to Tennant scale.'

Max's eyes widened at that statement. The one to Tennant scale was serious, one being Snape and ten being the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. 'He must be incredibly hot to register to high.'

'Defs. But how could he not be? Tall, amazing blue eyes, he has plugs too, they're not freakishly huge only about 14 mill but still, it's a hot thing, long hair – at least down to his collar bones, at least!- and have I mentioned the fact that he's a ginge? Honestly, ten outta ten, would bang.'

Max groaned and hid her face. 'Stop, Clar, just stop! Do you want me to squirm? You _know _how much I love me a ginge. God, it's the Weasley Twins all over again.'

'That, my dear, is why I told you. Erm, what else is there? Mum is dating someone, he's alright I guess, she could do so much better but eh, um, oh! There's a television show you just HAVE to watch! It's called Sherlock, you'll love it! So many DW people are in it and they've made a movie for _The Hobbit. _It's so good!'

Max lay there listening to Clary, eyes closed before something that she'd said finally registered in her brain. 'Wait, Nic's got a bf? For realzies? No way, that's huge!'

'You only catch on _now_? I mean I knew you were slow but _come on_. Anyway, yeah she does and he's coming over tonight, said something about dinner but iunno,' Clary shrugged slightly as she absently starred at the TARDIS. 'So you happy to be home?'

'Is that a trick question? Of course I'm happy to be home. I've got the people I love around me and access to every channel station, what's not to love?'

.

Preparing dinner had always been an experience when cooking in the Finnegan household. Music was always playing, jokes were always being told and someone was always in someone's way. Max sung along to _What Is Love _by La Bouche as she stirred the simmering mince mix for the pasta while Nicole was preparing the salad.

'Shove, love,' Clary called before bumping her mum out of the way with her hip and opening the cutlery draw to get the silver wear, just as there was a knock at the front door.

'Sor_ry, _gosh I just wanna have a good time,' Nicole said as she moved back to the salad, pouring in the dressing.

Max laughed as she watched her mum and sister start bickering, Clary setting the table and calling out while Nicole went to check the door. Shaking her head, she turned back to the mince and lowered the heat right down before reaching over to the fridge from where she was leaning against the counter and withdrew a beer. Twisting the top, Max poured half of it in the pot before stirring lazily while taking the casual sip of the remaining liquor.

'Mike's here!'

Max turned to see a tall thirty something bloke walk into the room, he was well built and blond which caused Max to roll her eyes at internally. There was just something about guys with blond hair that just made her shudder, well technically there was a very specific reason as to why she severely disliked the blond male species but that was neither here nor there. Shaking her head slightly, she inclined her head towards him, receiving a nod in return before she turned back to the food and taking it off the heat and giving a whistle to grab Clary's attention.

'Oh, sorry,' she called, moving to grab a wooden cutting board to place in the center of the table.

'So, Max, tell me, where have you been for the past couple of months? I haven't seen you around before,' Mike, Nic's boyfriend, asked as he served himself a second helping of pasta.

Max paused from pilling her fourth helping to glance up at him before continuing in her serving. 'I was staying in a complex in Colorado.'

Mike looked at her in interest as he munched on the salad he'd shoved in his mouth. Swallowing thickly, he cleared his throat, 'What was in Colorado?'

'Clear Ridge Institute for Precarious Boys and Girls,' Max answered, before noticing his blank expression. 'Basically it was a place to straighten out kids, criminals.'

Mike looked at Max in surprise and just the slightest hint of trepidation. 'What were you doing there?'

'Oh, I almost beat a man to death when I was fourteen.'

Nicole cleared her throat loudly to distract from the awkward situation. 'So, desert anyone? I'll just get the cake shall I?' Without waiting for an answer, she stood and walked over to the counter to pick up the chocolate cake they'd baked earlier that day, after Max and Clary had caught up.

Needless to say, the rest of dinner that night was spent in a tense atmosphere without much conversation.

.

**Okay L & G's, let me know what you thought of this reworked chapter. Should I continue to fix it up or just let it hang there suspended in perpetual nothingness? Because honestly, now that I've restarted this I have more ideas for it and I actually want to see how this turns out.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think and reread the original story to see where I'm coming from with the overall shoddiness of it.**

**Love,**

**Taylah.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welp, no one said anything as of yet about this story so I'm just going to write the story anyway. I know a fair majority of you preferred when this was Fax but eh *shrugs* as much as I love Fang pre fourth book, he just doesn't do it for me anymore. And to be honest, I really like the Miggy pairing so much more than Fax. **

**Plus Miggy sounds nicer to the ear than Fax. No one wants to sound like an office supply.**

**Oh and flames ARE welcome. Call me whatever you like; I simply like to see what you guys come up with in your flames. Get creative!**

**This chapter's is also by 'Battleships', seriously, check them out.**

**Love,**

**Taylah**

**.**

Chapter Two: As You'd Begun

_Move a little closer, what are you afraid of?  
Set the night on fire, and baby burn it up.  
Tattooed on your chest I. S. S. U. E. S.  
Move a little closer, what are you afraid of?_

Max groaned and buried her head further into her pillow in a poor attempt to block out the music coming from the other side of the room. When the song finished only for it to start up again, signalling the fact that she had to get her lazy arse out of bed, heaving a sigh and cursing who ever came up with the rule of seniors starting at 7:50 in the AM, Max complied and pushed herself up and climbed out of bed. Slowly.

Bones lifted his head up from his bed -an incredibly large soft black pillow- that sat beneath the three black curtained windows that stretched across the wall you see when first entering her room. Upon seeing she was finally shutting off the loud racket, he let out a huff and lowered his head once more, blue and brown eyes closing.

'Lucky bastard,' Max muttered while sorting through her closet, pulling out the short sleeved white dress shirt that Clary had bought the day before from the uniform shop at school. Yanking off the singlet she was wearing and pulled on the shirt without bothering to undo the buttons, Max pulled the red school tie around her neck and let it hang there for the moment.

Withdrawing a pair of dark grey shorts that were buried deep in the back of her closet she changed from her blue boxers that had golden snitches on them and into the shorts. Bending down, she swiped her black Vans off the ground and a random navy knitted cardigan that had little deer and snowflake figures on it and walked out of her room and down the hall into the bathroom where she dropped her shoes on the floor and began to brush her teeth.

Softly singing the words to _My Understandings, _Max pulled her hair back before applying the bare minimum of make-up while the sounds of Clary moving around downstairs sounded in the air. Satisfied and unable to be bothered to do anything else, Max grabbed her shoes and walked out only to collapse on the top of the stairs to put on her shoes and actually do something with her tie.

Clary looked up from her spot behind the counter in the kitchen to see Max walk in, hair messily pulled back in a bun with slightly curly wisps hanging in front of her ears, black lining her top lids thinly, the red tie that the school said was mandatory knotted into a bow tie while her was shirt wrinkled and half obscured by the cardigan she was wearing.

'Good morning, beautiful, ready for your first day of school?' Clary called with an amused smile as Max stumbled past her to turn on the kettle.

'Piss off until I've had tea, Clary. You know the rules.'

Max had been home for a week now and in deed had shown how inhospitable she could be first thing in the morning without a tea in her. It was almost as terrifying as seeing her mother without a cup of coffee in her, something a kin to a grizzly bear suffering from a rough night with Dementors and Jägermeister shots while an Elvis impersonator sang horribly in the background.

Yeah.

Not a pretty sight.

Amusing to think of though.

Humming softly while making lunch for the both of them, Clary sipped at her own cup of Irish Breakfast before digging around for their lunchboxes; smiling when she withdrew a purple Courage the Cowardly Dog and a red I Am Weasel lunc hbox tin. Max moved around behind her preparing four chocolate pop tarts while she waiting for kettle to boil, softly singing the words to the random song she woke up with stuck in her head before glancing up at the microwave clock to see that there was only ten minutes until they had to leave.

'Max, where did mum put our bags?'

Max looked up from her intense stare off with the toaster to look at Clary confused. 'You mean they're _not _where we dumped them on the other side of the bench?' Clary sighed, knowing full well that Max wasn't being sarcastic and was being genuine, and shook her head gently, curly brown locks shifted slightly as she thought of other places to look. 'Have you tried Harry's house?'

Pausing for a moment before face palming, Clary walked down the hall to the closet under the stairs to see Max's tan leather satchel and her black Jansport backpack.

'I take it you found them then,' Max said when Clary reappeared while she leaned against the counter with a tea cup in one hand and a finished pop tart in the other hand.

'Bite me,' Clary called before stuffing the lunch boxes into their correct places -I Am Weasel in Max's and Courage the Cowardly Dog in her own- before shoving in the right books and their water bottles.

'Love to,' Max said before placing her cup in the sink, 'you ready to go?'

'Yeah, got your keys?'

Launching her arm out to snatch up the keys from the counter, Max nodded triumphantly before picking up her satchel from its spot on the counter and making her way down the hall and out the front door with a cry of 'Allons-y!'

*.&.*

A beat up red 1958 Plymouth Fury flew down the streets lined with maple, birch and evergreen trees; the aggressive sound of heavy metal and girl's laughter hanging heavily in the distilled air long after the car had vanished from sight.

_Gefährlich das gebrannte Kind  
mit Feuer das vom Leben trennt  
ein heisser Schrei  
bang, bang  
Feuer frei!_

Reaching forward, Clary turned down the music just as they entered to student parking lot, a handful of second hand cars were scattered all across the gravel splattered dirt. Picking a park close to the small block that was beside the lot, Max turned off the engine; cutting the song off mid verse and climbed out before reaching into the back seat for her bag.

'Nothing says 'Good Morning' like Rammstein screaming in your ears at 7:58 in the morning, eh, Clary?' Max said while locking her door. The brunet in question just shook her head at her sister while slinging on her bag and heading towards their first class.

'Hey! Don't leave me here! I don't know where I'm going! Clary! CLARY!' When it became obvious that she wasn't going to stop, Max ran after her sister and joining her on the way to the art class that they shared.

'Sorry we're late, Miss,' Clary said to their teacher Miss Worthington as she walked to the table at the back and pulled off her bag, Max following after her and sitting on one of the multiple stools lining the table on the end while swinging her bag up onto the table.

'It's fine, Clary,' their teacher, a short blond with long curly hair and blue eyes said before turning to Max. 'I'm guessing you're my new student?'

Max looked up momentarily from her bag to nod an affirmative before returning to hunt for her blank page art book while she spoke up. 'That's me, new girl,' she said mid riffling, 'and hello, what's this?' Max pulled out an art book with an anatomically correct skull on the cover before rolling her eyes and turning to her sister. 'You gave me your book, you noonga.'

'I was in a rush when I was getting our stuff, Max; you weren't helping, acting like an enraged Sontaran!' Clary said as she slid the book she had in front of her to Max.

'I was not! I was just waiting for the pop tarts to finish!' Max said as she pulled her anatomically correct heart covered art book towards her while sliding Clary's away before turning to the teacher to hear what she was saying.

'-the art should be easy to put on and take off, don't forget that. Now it has to reflect an issue be it social, environmental or iconic representation. It must have a reason behind it, but other than that, do what you like. You can use whatever materials you feel will work and can make it however you like. Just remember its call _wearable art _for a reason. Don't make it so no one can wear it.'

Max nodded to herself as the teacher was talking before opening her art book and flipping through the random sketches and cartoons that made up the first seven pages to a blank one and began roughly sketching ideas.

'Sorry I'm late, Miss.'

'That's fine, take a seat, Iggy,' Miss Worthington said waving him into the classroom. 'You know what we're working on don't you?'

'Yeah I do,' Iggy said before walking towards the table that Clary was sitting at, surprised at the sight of a new student sitting where he usually sat. Looking up and meeting Clary's eye, he nodded towards the girl while sitting down across from her. Clary smiled and turned to the girl waving a hand and when that didn't work, she gave a sigh and shook her head.

Max was startled at the sudden pain in her shin before lifting her head and glaring at the brunet on the corner of the desk while yanking out a headphone. 'Dammit, Clar, what the hell was that for? I haven't even _tried_ to piss you off yet.' All that she got in response was a nod towards Max's right. Still frowning, Max turned to a boy with long ginger hair that fell in messy layers down to his collar bones and striking blue eyes that were gazing at her in amusement.

Oh.

That's what the kick was for.

Right. Well.

Makes sense now.

Oops.

Better say something, try to sound cool.

'Er, have you been there for long? Because if you have, sorry I didn't notice you earlier,' Max reached up and rubbed the back of her neck with an internal sigh.

Damn! What happened to being cool?

The guy smiled and shook his head flashing Max a glimpse of his ears -they so weren't stretched to 14 mill only 12, stupid Clary for saying they were , 'Don' worry about it, it happens. I'm Iggy,' he said.

'Max, I'm Clary's older sister.'

'Nice to meet you, Max.'

'You too.'

*.&.*

What class do I have now? Think, think. Dammit.

Max frowned before pulling her wallet from her pocket and withdrew her timetable to see she had Advanced English in N Block.

'Oh, come on! Where the hell is N Block? I should know this, Clary showed me. Dammit.'

'Having trouble, Ride?'

Max's eyes widen at the sound of the voice coming from beside her. Surprised, she turned her head to see Fang, her old best friend and now -apparently- woman slayer. Ignoring the last bit of information, she smiled at him. 'D'ya know where N Block is?'

Fang shook his head slightly while chuckling. 'Yeah I do, come on.' As they walked, he pulled her timetable from Max's fingers and reviewed her classes. 'We have English and Cert. art together.'

'Do we?' Max pulled the timetable back and looked over her classes. 'Sweet, at least I'll know someone,' she lifted her gaze from the paper to watch one of her oldest friend's faces before frowning ever so slightly. 'How've you been by the way? It's been ages since we last talked and I stopped receiving letters from you.'

'Fine, I've been fine. I can't really complain about anything.'

It was an obvious dismissal and Max complied with it, understanding that perhaps their friendship couldn't just restart once again after so long without seeing each other. Understanding this, Max gave a single nod and fell silent for the rest of the walk.

It was clear that restarting friendships was a romanticized notion that only happened in movies, and was in reality much more difficult than it seemed.

This is going to be a long year.


End file.
